Bird has flown the coop. If you’re looking forward to warmer weather to zip around Burlington, South Burlington or Winooski on the company’s blue e-bikes, you’re out of luck this year.
The Bird bikeshare program, which launched in the area mid 2023, has opted not to return to Chittenden County this spring, citing financial feasibility issues, according to a press release from the Chittenden Area Transportation Management Association.
Sandy Thibault is the executive director of the association, a non-profit, membership-based organization that works to find better transportation and parking options. She said she hopes the company will reconsider its decision in the spring.
“It is disappointing to lose bikeshare as a mode of travel in our metro area,” she said in an email. “It served as a first/ last mile solution, got people out of their cars and exposed many to biking.”
Starting in July 2023, the company began offering, on average, about 150 e-bikes in Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski. It recorded 50,547 rides over two years, according to the release.
Bird notified the transportation association earlier this month that it would not be returning to Chittenden County due to the financial challenges of operating in a smaller market, according to the release.
It’s not the first time Vermont’s largest county has lost its bikeshare provider. Florida-based company Bolt, which operated the area’s GreenRide Bikeshare program, went out of business in 2022.
Many national bikeshare companies established before the Covid-19 pandemic with funding from venture capitalists have found it “a complex business model” to sustain, said Thibault, who called the model “a valuable 24/7 mode in our transportation network that can fill a void when transit isn’t operating.”
“We will be assessing our previous bikeshare systems with our partners, municipalities, local bike shops and stakeholders to discuss the next iteration of bikeshare in our region and a timeline,” she said in the email.
Bird, a Miami-based company, acquired its rival Spin in 2023 and filed for bankruptcy at the end of that year. Last year it emerged from bankruptcy under the new private parent umbrella of Third Lane Mobility Inc., Inc.com reported. It is now the largest micro-electric vehicle operator in North America, according to its website, and partners with more than 350 cities around the world to provide scooters and electric bike rentals.
Adam Davis, a spokesperson for Bird, said in the release, “We are confident in the city’s ability to build upon the progress made and wish them continued success in making alternative transportation a priority.”
Bird representatives did not respond to further questions.
Winooski Town Manager Elaine Wang said she understands why the company pulled out of Chittenden County.
“My understanding is that this market is difficult. It’s just big enough that companies think it’s worth a try, but has not turned out to be quite big enough to sustain them,” she said in an email. Unless the market changes significantly with more users or local staffing available, “it will continue to be a challenge to keep a service here,” she added.
Burlington officials said they are “disappointed” to see Bird leave but would like to work with partners to see a similar program return.
“Bikeshare programs are crucial to keeping our communities connected, and offering a climate friendly, cost-effective alternative for commuters,” Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak said in an emailed statement, adding that the city would be a willing partner to help facilitate a sustainable bikeshare program.
